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Fresh calls for a crossing to link up Redcar and Hartlepool have been sounded - but doubts remain about its viability.

Attention has been firmly focused on the £400m Tees Crossing project on the A19 on Teesside.

But studies have been carried out this year to see whether a link between Redcar and Hartlepool would be possible.

Former Hartlepool Council leader Christopher Akers-Belcher championed the "eastern crossing" idea at Wednesday's Tees Valley transport meeting - calling on leaders to make a decision on the plan.

Cllr Akers-Belcher said: "If there is no appetite within the combined authority to progress the eastern crossing, I would rather that was made public.

"The work that's been undertaken proves it's viable - it could be self-funding with a toll.

"I just sometimes feel we're getting so far down the line with our committed spending to the Tees Crossing, rather than borrowing for an Eastern crossing that would take cars off the road on the existing crossing.

"I just don't understand why there is this lack of appetite to do it when something might be happening with the SSI site."

Cllr Christopher Akers-Belcher (Image: Copyright Unknown)

After the meeting, Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said they had already done a "huge amount of work" into the eastern Tees crossing but the financial benefit could not be shown yet.

"Until we increase activity around the South Tees Development Corporation (STDC) site we won't be able to get any money for an eastern crossing because it just does not stack up financially," he added.

"We need to increase development at the STDC - the eastern crossing is important but we need a reality check.

"To me, it's going to cost more than the Tees Crossing and that's a £400m project.

"I would love to be able to do it to connect Hartlepool and Redcar but the government needs to be able to see more bang for its buck - then they don't have an excuse not to fund it."